Did you know that your safety program is an important part of your new business strategy? Potential clients want to know about your safety program as part of their request for proposal (RFP) screening when accepting bids on a project.
John Meola, Pillar Inc.’s Safety Director, recently published an article in Construction Business Owner magazine about this very subject. When accepting bids on a project, clients no longer ask the simple question “Do you have a safety program?” They want pages of information about every detail of your safety program and proof that your company is committed to safety.
Part of the reason for this is that OSHA has intensified its accountability process and revised the violation fine structure, making it very costly for those not following safety guidelines. For that reason, it’s important to know what clients are looking for when it comes to information about your safety program. Some of those items include:
- Evidence of leadership and a commitment to safety. Your company website should even have a policy statement that bidders can refer to if they visit your site.
- Proof that you have trained and credential staff members on your team in your specialty discipline
- Display your commitment to your business’ safety committee
- Describe the processes that take place if there is a spill on your construction site. You can even include pictures and other visuals.
These steps only scratch the surface of what your company should supply when bidding on a project. For more details about the importance of safety language and how your company can plan ahead, read John’s full article about “Understanding The New Safety Language”.